BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - A 22-year-old Guntersville man who posted a YouTube video of himself "cannonballing" a manatee in Florida waters was sentenced today after pleading guilty to harassing an endangered species.

Taylor Blake Martin, who joked about being "Tayla the Manatee Slaya," and friend Andrew Stephenson were sentenced to 175 hours community service and two years' probation. Martin was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine, and Stephenson a $2,000 fine..

Both were ordered to post an apology and statement of remorse on Facebook, according to a news release from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Manatees are a protected species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was made aware in 2013 of a video posted on Facebook that showed one man luring two manatees to a dock with a water hose and another man jumping off a boat dock, "cannonballing" an adult manatee and a calf. Martin, of Guntersville, was later identified as the person who jumped on the manatees after Stephenson had lured them to the dock with a water hose.

The video showed Martin landing on the back of the manatee as they swam away. Stephenson tried to lure them back again, and then the video ended.

After the video was posted on Facebook, several people expressed concern with Martin's actions. His response was, "hahaha...in my debue (sic) as tayla the manatee slaya...im (expletive) ready to cannonball on every manatee living yewwww,'' according to FWS authorities.

"The U.S. Magistrate Judge (Gregory J. Kelly) sent a clear message with this sentence that manatee harassment is a serious crime which will be dealt with harshly," Andrew Aloise, resident agent in charge for the U.S Fish and Wildife Service in Florida. "If there had been evidence of physical damage to the manatees, he would have put them in jail."